Month: January 2016

Need Something Different for Book Club?

January 28, 2016 Book Clubs, Staff Reviews

Try The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue.  The protagonist, Razi, is a spirited, independent women.  Not so unusual in today’s world, but in the 1920’s she was quite a maverick.   Driven in her focus to attend medical school at Northwestern, Razi also finds it her mission to educate women on their reproductive rights in secret “boyless” meetings.

The story centers on her passionate love affair that ends abruptly when she dies in a tragic accident.   Razi, now “in-between” the physical world and the hereafter, spends her time searching for her lost love.  After almost 70 years “in-between” she finds herself tugged into the life of Amy and Scott.   Razi manipulates their world in all the eerie ways a ghost can in an effort to get Amy to unleash the secrets that are keeping her from having a happy, fulfilling marriage.

It is a great mixture of romance, mystery and the spiritual world that provoked lively discussions of feminism, great loves, and, of course…ghosts.

February 2016 Book Discussions

January 22, 2016 Book Clubs, Book Lists

All are welcome to attend our book discussions.   You don't need to register.  Simply stop by the Adult Services Desk at the Main Library (Harnish) to pick up copies of the current month's book selections. 

BOOK CLUBBERS

The Boston Girl
by Anita Diamant
Date: Thursday, February 04, 2016 @ Harnish
Start Time: 7:00 PM

Dive into the life of an early 20th century immigrant with Addie Baum as she explains to her grand-daughter how she became the modern woman she is today.  By the end of the book, you might believe Addie's tale is a real biography!

SPINECRACKERS BOOK CLUB

Wild : From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by Cheryl Strayed
Date: Friday, February 05, 2016 @ Harnish
Start Time: 10:00 AM

This engaging memoir chronicles the author’s brave and some might say reckless decision to hike 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to the state of Washington by herself.  With no real long-distance hiking experience, Strayed embarks upon a life changing journey along one of the most scenic and challenging trails in the United States.   Read our full review.

BOOKALICIOUS - A NOT SO YA BOOK CLUB

Love Letters to the Dead
by Ava Dellaira
Date: Monday, February 08, 2016 @ Village Vintner
Start Time: 7:00 PM

When Laurel starts writing letters to dead people for a school assignment, she begins to spill about her sister's mysterious death, her mother's departure from the family, her new friends, and her first love.

CLASSICS BOOK CLUB

Wide Sargasso Sea
by Jean Rhys
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Start Time: 6:30 PM

A passionate and heartbreaking novel which brings into the light one of fiction's most mysterious characters: the madwoman in the attic from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.  A society so driven by hatred that it can literally drive a woman out of her mind.

NITE READERS BOOK CLUB

Destiny of the Republic
by Candice Millard
Date: Thursday, February 18, 2016 @ Harnish
Start Time: 7:00 PM

January 2016 Book Discussions

January 5, 2016 Book Clubs, Book Lists

All are welcome to attend our book discussions. Stop by the Adult Services Desk at the Main Library (Harnish) to pick up your copies today!

BOOK CLUBBERS

Landline
by Rainbow Rowell
Date: Thursday, January 07, 2016 @ Harnish
Time: 7:00 PM

Separated from her husband and kids during Christmas, Georgie McCool discovers a magic phone that allows her to talk to her husband in the past, before they married.  Will their conversations change her future and repair their currently strained relationship?

SPINECRACKERS BOOK CLUB

The Boston Girl
by Anita Diamant
Date: Friday, January 08, 2016 @ Harnish
Time: 7:00 PM

Dive into the life of an early 20th century immigrant with Addie Baum as she explains to her grand-daughter how she became the modern woman she is today.  By the end of the book, you might believe Addie's tale is a real biography!

BOOKALICIOUS - For adults who enjoy reading YA

Heist Society
by Ally Carter
Date: Monday, January 11, 2016 @ Village Vintner
Time: 7:00 PM

A group of teenagers uses their combined talents to re-steal several priceless paintings and save fifteen-year-old Kat Bishop's father, himself an international art thief, from a vengeful collector.

CLASSICS BOOK CLUB

Middlemarch
by George Elliot
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 @ Harnish
Time: 6:30 PM

Complex tale of idealism, disillusion, profligacy, loyalty and frustrated love.  This is a penetrating analysis of the life of an English provincial town during the time of social unrest prior to the Reform Bill of 1832.

NITE READERS BOOK CLUB

We Are Called to Rise
by Laura McBride
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016 @ Harnish
Time: 7:00 PM

An immigrant boy; a middle-aged housewife; a social worker in Las Vegas; a wounded soldier. These lives of people from different backgrounds and experiences collide in a stunning coincidence. When presented the opportunity to sink into despair, these characters rise. Through acts of remarkable charity and bravery, they rescue themselves.

January 2016 Library Reads

January 4, 2016 Book Lists, Book Reviews, Library Reads

My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel
by Elizabeth Strout

“Set in the mid-1980s, Lucy Barton, hospitalized for nine weeks, is surprised when her estranged mother shows up at her bedside. Her mother talks of local gossip, but underneath the banalities, Lucy senses the love that cannot be expressed. This is the story that Lucy must write about, the one story that has shaped her entire life. A beautiful lyrical story of a mother and daughter and the love they share.”

- Catherine Coyne, Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, MA

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
by Katarina Bivald

“Sara arrives in the small town of Broken Wheel to visit her pen pal Amy, only to discover Amy has just died. The tale of how she brings the love of books and reading that she shared with Amy to the residents of Broken Wheel is just a lovely read. Any book lover will enjoy Sara’s story and that of the friends she makes in Broken Wheel. If ever a town needed a bookstore, it is Broken Wheel; the healing power of books and reading is made evident by this heartwarming book.”

- Barbara Clark-Greene, Groton Public Library, Groton, CT

The Swans of Fifth Avenue: A Novel
by Melanie Benjamin

“Benjamin transports readers to 1960s Manhattan. This story gives us the chance to spy on Truman Capote’s close friendship with Babe Paley and his society “swans,” and the betrayal and scandal that drove them apart. I loved the description of the Black and White Ball.”

- Emily Weiss, Bedford Public Library, Bedford, NH

Ashley Bell: A Novel
by Dean Koontz

“This is a thrilling novel that caught me by surprise. Bibi Blair was diagnosed with brain cancer and astounds her doctor by being cured the day after her diagnosis. Why was she saved? A girl named Ashley Bell can provide the answers she seeks. Reality and dreams mix together in this unique narrative. Readers will be compelled to rush through to get to the ending.”

- Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, Azusa, CA

American Housewife: Stories
by Helen Ellis

“In a series of short stories, Helen Ellis picks up the rock of American domesticity and shows us what’s underneath. While it’s not always pretty, it is pretty hilarious, in the darkest, most twisted of ways. The ladies in these stories seem to be living lives that are enviable in the extreme, but then slowly, the layers are pulled away, and the truth is revealed.”

- Jennifer Dayton, Darien Library, Darien, CT

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain
by Bill Bryson

“A slightly more curmudgeonly Bill Bryson recreates his beloved formula of travel writing and social commentary. This book is a lovely reminder of all the amazing natural beauty and historically significant sites found in the United Kingdom. Even though Bryson extols the virtues of his adopted homeland, he never lets up on the eccentricities and stupidity he encounters. Bryson’s still laugh-out loud funny and this book won’t disappoint.”

- Susannah Connor, Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ

The Things We Keep: A Novel
by Sally Hepworth

“A sweet story of love and loss set in a residential care facility. Two of its youngest residents, a man and a woman both diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, fall in love. Their story is intertwined with the stories of other residents and employees at the facility, including a recently widowed cook and her seven-year-old daughter. A moving and improbably uplifting tale.”

- Elizabeth Eastin, Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton, NY

Ornaments of Death: A Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery
by Jane K. Cleland

“The Josie Prescott mystery series–featuring likable characters and fascinating facts about antiques–continues to please in this latest entry. Josie is dealing with her annual Christmas party while trying to unravel the mystery of a missing relative and the disappearance of two valuable seventeenth-century miniatures. A nicely twisted mystery in a fun and festive setting.”

- Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

Even Dogs in the Wild
by Ian Rankin

“Readers rejoice! John Rebus has come out of retirement. Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox are working an important case and ask for his help. Then an attempt is made on the life of his longtime nemesis, Big Ger Cafferty. Are the cases connected? A top notch entry in a beloved series.”

- Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Libraries, Raleigh, NC

What She Knew: A Novel
by Gilly Macmillan

“Rachel Jenner is out for a walk with her son Ben when, after allowing him to run ahead to a swing, he vanishes. The investigation focuses on Rachel due to her recent divorce, and as a result, Rachel becomes undone. This is a psychological thriller full of suspense that will have you guessing until the very end. When all is revealed, the characters and action of the crime will stay with you long after you read the final page. I recommend this book to every fan of the genre.”

- Annice Sevett, Willmar Public Library, Willmar, MN